Grazing Management Options for Cool-Season Forages

Oct 13, 2020

By Kalyn Waters

Cool-season forages are major players in the winter supplementation strategy of cattle producers in the Southeast. Maximizing the management of cool-season forages can contribute to the overall success of a supplementation program. Creep grazing is a broad term that is used to define allowing specific groups within your herd to have access to forages, while limiting others. Like traditional creep feeding with a commodity type feeds, producers can also use cool season forages to supplement those within the herd that are growing or have higher nutritional requirements with forward grazing.

Consideration 1: Creep Grazing Calves

Creep grazing is a management strategy that allows calves to graze a designated area separately from the cow herd. Once calves reach an age in which they are actively grazing, allowing them to have access to forages, while restricting the rest of the herd from accessing. Calves typically will start grazing around 2 months of age, but don’t really start to utilize forages until 3 to 4 months of age as a part of their diet. A good rule of thumb is to allocate 10% of the pasture needed for regular stocking to creep grazing, or 6 calves per acre in the Southeast.

Nutritional requirements for beef cows by age and production phase.

Consideration 2: Forward Grazing Young Cows

It is well established that beef cattle females have different nutritional requirements throughout all phases of the production cycle. Young females have requirements for gestation, lactation, and growth. Managing your winter supplementation plan based off nutritional needs of cattle can reduce the overall cost of production. By sorting young, growing heifers (1st or 2nd calf) and thin lactating cows into one group and mature, non-lactating, or open cows into another group will dramatically increase the ability to manage nutritional needs. This can be especially useful for producers who don’t have a defined breeding season.

Forward grazing is a management plan that allows one group/class of livestock to have access to the grazing, followed by a second group. Allowing the group of young and lactating cattle to have access to cool-season forages first will allow for them to have access to the most nutrition forage. This group can then be followed by the cattle with lesser nutritional requirements.

Employing simple, easily managed grazing strategies can help improve the return on investment with cool-season forages.

Source : ufl.edu

Video: AJ Armstrong Takes the Helm as Manitoba Seed Growers President

The Manitoba Seed Growers Association (MSGA) held its first annual SeedLink Conference in Brandon last week, where a new president was appointed to take the helm of the organization.

A.J. Armstrong of Armstrong Seeds in Boissevain took the gavel from Past-President Tom Greaves. In a sit-down interview, Armstrong shared insights into his personal journey within the seed industry. Born into a family deeply rooted in seed cultivation, he took the reins of the family business in 2003, building on a legacy initiated by his father in 1980.

Regulatory modernization emerged as a significant focus of the conversation. While acknowledging the complexities of the process, Armstrong expressed optimism about the potential benefits for seed growers once the regulatory framework is finalized.

Discussing the dynamics of working with family in a business setting, he stressed the importance of open communication.

Operating with a streamlined team that includes his mom as the bookkeeper, his father as the “gopher” handling specific tasks, and a dedicated employee for day-to-day operations, the Armstrong family has successfully navigated the intricate balance of personal and professional relationships.

Open discussions about roles, responsibilities, and business plans contribute significantly to the smooth functioning of a family-operated seed business,” he said.

SeedLink is a new event; the decision to explore a return to a two-day annual meeting format sparked enthusiasm among industry partners, including key players and sponsors like SeCan, FP Genetics, Canterra Seeds, and numerous others.